Dave Conde

Dave Conde went to Grad school for Accounting and was voted “Most Likely to Quit Accounting and Become a Professional Skateboarder”. This is not demonstrably false. He reads a bit of everything but values the writing above the art. The only books he’ll buy regardless of the story are by Frank Cho, because…well damn. (Once he masters drawing more than one female face, Frank’s going to be unstoppable.)
He’s Dave. Solamente Dave. And he can’t be locked up in a cage like some kind of Manimal. He’s outta heeeeeeere.

America’s favorite crime-fighting adventurer robot, Atomic Robo, has done a lot in his life. A lot more than you have, to be blunt. Did you ever test-pilot a jet plane and run into sky pirates? Well, were they lady pirates? Didn’t think so. Now, thanks to Red 5 Comics, you can read about the road less traveled. Will it make all the difference? Find out after the jump.

A lot of comics are aimed at specific audiences, and although we here at Major Spoiler try our best to be open-minded, sometimes we’re just not in the group that the comic is trying to reach. Today’s example: Princeless, a comic aimed mostly at preteen girls. It may surprise you to learn that there are few preteen girls in the old Major Spoiler Bullpen. It’s true. So I asked my daughter, Alicia, aged 10, for her thoughts on the book. I’ll add my thoughts (in parentheses) to clarify or add context but her opinions are her own. Will this work,

Since giving up the title of Sorcerer Supreme, Stephen Strange has been more of a plot device than a super hero. He had his moments in the spotlight, particularly in Defenders, but now the good doctor has to embrace his inner action hero as he faces off single-handedly against the Avengers as volume 2 of the New Avengers comes to a close. It’s the end of the book as we know it. And how do I feel about it? Find out after the jump.

He’s a killer robot with a heart of gold, meeting people for the first time in the outside world. No, not Johnny Five. This robot is in the shape of a young boy. No, not D.A.R.Y.L. (169 Internet Obscurity Points to anyone who gets that without google) I’m talking about Number 13, the latest weapon of mass destruction on a redemption arc. But is there enough here to differentiate him from the very crowded pack of this sub-genre? Find out after the jump.

In today’s work-a-day world, it can be all to easy to forget that Spider-Man is more than just a crime fighter. He’s more than just a weirdo swinging through New York in his PJ’s. More than just a threat or just a menace. Down deep, Spider-Man is a funny guy, and that fact is best seen when he interacts with other heroes. And, is there a better straight man for Spidey than the Thing? Find out after the jump!

What do Dr. Doom, Batman, Bruce Banner and Wile E. Coyote all have in common? All are super-geniuses. In fact, you can’t throw a rock in a comic book city without hitting a super-genius. But while there are no supermen in real life there have been some super-geniuses. One of the highest concentrations of mega-brainpower was in Los Alamos, working on the Manhattan Project. What if the accumulated brains were not just harnessed to building the atomic bomb, but were directed to much stranger, darker goals? Are you ready to let your inner conspiracy theorist run wild? Find out after

Despite common, non-comic reader misconception, comics are more than just underwear perverts boxing with villains. Exhibit A is this title: Fables, which is near the top of my list of comics to recommend to comic book newbs. But after 122 issues (has it really been ten years?) is there a bottom to the public domain well from which Bill Willingham is drawing? Or can he re-contextualize the classic tales ad infinitum? Broaden your mind, after the jump.

The New Avengers are the B-team of the real Avengers. If you need proof of their 2nd class status, look to the fact that they are periodically preempted from their own book in favor of general Avengers’ stories when events and cross-overs mandated more “screen time” for the main Avengers. And that’s with Wolverine and Spider-Man on the team. Of course, they’re on every team. Bendis’ treatment of this team has swung wildly between Mary Sue and outright neglect. With Marvel Now! launching, which approach will he use to wrap up their story?

Do you wish the Avengers was more like Mission Impossible? Do you wish super hero comics were less colorful and more sneaky? Do you wish you had a little foot-tall man who plays piano? Well, some of your wishes have come true. Find out which ones after the jump.

Matt Fraction took the reins of the Defenders promising that he would explore the foundations of the Marvel Universe and answer the questions of how it all came together. With only one more issue to go, has he lived up to his promise? More importantly, is it a good read? Find out after the jump.

Looking for a wish-fulfillment story but Shazam’s just not cutting it anymore? Did you always feel a little sorry for the Tyrannosaurus Rex only having short, little arms? Do you love science, even the crackpot variety? Would you like a comic that you can enjoy with your kid/younger sibling? Then read on as Major Spoilers answers all your questions and reviews Super Dinosaur.

DC’s round of #0 issues is supposed to provide a jumping on point for new readers and give some background and insight into the characters for existing readers. I decided to take that challenge head on and read a comic that I’ve never read to see if this issue will teach me what I need to know about the character and convince me to pick up the ongoing story. Imagine my chagrin when I learned that Captain Atom had already been cancelled and the zero issue was the final issue. Still, there’s always the question of whether it’s a good

The problem with a great comic artist like Atomic Robo co-creator Scott Wegener is that as a mere human, he cannot keep up with the avalanche of stories that tumble like a tsunami from writer Brian Clevinger’s pen. Rather than clone Wegener again (allegedly), the solution was to enlist other artist and create a spin-off comic to feature the shorter stories about Robo and his universe. But with increased production, can the same level of quality be maintained with so many cooks in the kitchen? Let’s find out, shall we?